Rodney Terry pleased with his No. 9 class, which could surge higher in the rankings depending on Tre Johnson's decision
On Wednesday, the Texas men’s basketball program signed two 2024 prospects that make up the No. 9 class in On3’s rankings.
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“We were able to secure two really good signings, guys that our staff did a great job evaluating and getting a chance to develop great relationships with over the recruiting period,” Rodney Terry said Thursday. “We were able to get two really good, quality players, and players that we think have really high ceilings in their near future. We think they have a chance to be really good Longhorns for us in the near future as well.”
The first future Longhorn to send in his letter of intent was Carrollton (Texas) Newman Smith forward Nic Codie.
Codie, a 6-foot-8 forward who has family connections to UT, is ranked as the No. 1 player in Texas according to On3 and the On3 Industry Ranking.
“He has great size at 6-8, 6-8.5, almost 6-9,” Terry said. “His wingspan is really good, and he’s one of those guys that was a late bloomer that’s gotten better, better, and better over the course of the summer and into the fall. He has the chance to be a guy that’s going to be the type of player guys are going to follow.
“He is a guy that communicates on the floor at a high level. He has really good ball skills for his size. He’s a guy that can rebound the basketball then come down and initiate offense, then really good passing skills. A guy that can stretch the floor and shoot the three as well. He’s going to be a really good player.”
Terry also added Lexington (S.C.) four-star Cam Scott, a 6-foot-5 guard who is ranked as the No. 34 player in the nation by the On3 Industry Ranking.
“Cam Scott is an ultra athletic perimeter player that, much like Devon Pryor, has a very high ceiling,” Terry said. “Extremely athletic. A guy that’s going to continue to shoot the ball at a good clip, and has a chance with the mindset, if he wants to, to be a good defensive player as well. An extremely talented young prospect coming into our program.”
There remains room for one more in the Longhorns’ 2024 class. Texas is in pursuit of Tre Johnson, the On3 Industry Ranking’s No. 4 overall prospect. A Lake Highlands, Texas native, Johnson is playing his senior season at Link Academy in Missouri.
Texas is battling Baylor for Johnson’s signature, which could be sent to either school in the next week. Johnson also has professional suitors, the same type that grabbed 2023 Texas signees Ron Holland and AJ Johnson.
When asked about recruiting top players who could also take the professional route out of high school, Terry said he looks literally all over the globe for the best players and will recruit them with fervor. Whether or not they have professional opportunities won’t deter the Longhorns’ efforts.
“The whole art of recruiting is developing relationships,” Terry said. “Parents are lending their kids to us with the hope that they come back better. In the process, you try to develop a great trust and relationship to where you can have good, honest conversations about a youngster’s future. I know for us at Texas, we’re going to continue to recruit the best players in the country and the best players internationally as well because we can. We have a brand that has the tentacles to be able to do that.
“We won’t be deterred by a youngster having the chance to also, if he got really hot over the course of his season, have other opportunities that present themselves. You deal with that when that comes down the pipe.”
The early signing period for men’s basketball runs through November 15.
